Quote: Some of it is because MS's hands have been tied by regulators in the US and the EU but I would say there is a lot fewer cases of MS cock blocking small time developers with good ideas these days.
So you're saying because they were so bad they caught the attention of the courts, now they don't do that anymore. You know, once you get caught cheating on your income taxes, they audit you more often. Of course you are better.
Quote: MS is much more into competing with their equals like IBM or Oracle than hassling small time developers like apple does with the itunes store.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't IBM own 51% of Apple? But really, Apple doesn't stop you from writing software, they just ask you to follow the specs, they establish. This is like me complaining because Wallmart doesn't sell my pictures. I have a right to sell pictures. I don't have the right to ask Wallmart to sell them. Walmart has the right to sell what they choose. If you're going to take the lazy way out and let Apple do your marketing for you... well there might be a price for that. Anyone can hawk a program for Apples, same as any other company. But if you want to get on iTunes or sell through the App Store. Meet Apple's specs. I don't have a problem with that. What meets spec is often a totally arbitrary decision, and it might be unfair from time to time, which you can avoid, by not taking advantage of Apple's retailing division to do your marketing.
Quote: The integrated hardware and software environment would mean that you have a workstation for writing your CAM programs, another workstation for operating the mill, another workstation for writing documents and checking email, another workstation for printing stuff on the plotter, etc... Eventually you have 5-6 physical computers that have virtually the same technical specifications but are certified and supported from thumbscrews to thumbnails by the same company and you have paid vastly different amounts for each one.
That was probably the lamest argument I've ever heard, come on, you can do better.